...Climate change is the most serious national (and international) crisis mankind has ever faced. It requires a solution on a scale that only the national government can accomplish. ...If we were to cover the Mojave Desert with PV panels, it would supply enough electricity to power our entire energy needs for the next thousand years. And since we, as American taxpayers, paid for those panels and an upgraded smart grid we should rightfully expect that our electricity would be free. Rip the meters right off the walls....

"Old Mole" sez ...Isn't it time to consider sawing off the evangelicals by exchanging support for a right-to-life amendment for serious carbon caps, or exchanging support for a balanced budget amendment with the fiscal conservatives?

"Wyoming":...On a global scale we need to recognize the immanence of the threat and start the process of completely changing the way we all live. We must dramatically reduce global population, cut rich lifestyles to the bone (especially in places like the US, Australia, Eur), halt completely international tourism, dramatically reduce US style CAFO beef and hog operations, dramatically reduce global vehicle fleets, stop Apple from wasting resources by making I-phone X every six months, etc, etc. There are dozens of items just as essential. This is a global system level problem of nightmarish complexity and scale. It is hard to even conceive of solving it. And it cannot be done at all if we do not start soon.

Implementation of the changes required will likely be unpleasant, distasteful, painful, ugly, undemocratic, authroitarior, etc. For many they will mean a dramatic reduction in lifestyle, often shorter life spans, more physical labor, less use of technology and so on....

This Australian web site home page says "Explaining climate change science & rebutting global warming misinformation". They win grants and awards from the usual liberal foundations and organizations (in Australia). They spar regularly with WattsUpWithThat although their web reach is much smaller than Anthony Watts.

THe problem with the climate is this: There are a bunch of idiots out there who think they can control it by making the rest of us (well, the survivors, anyway) live like grubworms or some such. Of course, they will want everything they expect us to give up, and that will somehow be justified by their incredible genius.

I for one prefer iron knives to knapping flint, and while I have skinned my own dinner on more than one occasion, do not wish to be reduced to some sort of 'Clan of the Cave Bear existence for their entertainment ('cause you know the drones will be watching...)

But the last time humans set themselves us to be 'gods', it didn't work out so well, either.

5
posted on 09/14/2012 7:38:38 PM PDT
by Smokin' Joe
(How often God must weep at humans' folly. Stand fast. God knows what He is doing)

I’m in the minority on FR in that I think global warming is potentially a serious problem. I’ve read the alarmists and the skeptics and see we might very well have a problem.

So what to do about it? Well, we saved the whales from extinction in the 19th century by inventing the electric light bulb. Technological solutions are probably the best approach. So far, the only thing that has gotten the U.S. to make a serious dent in carbon dioxide emissions is natural gas fracking.

I would suggest a one billion dollar prize for a technological breakthrough. Cheaper solar panels, thorium reactors, energy from the jet stream, whatever.
It’s a lot cheaper than pretty much every other solution people are offering, with a lot more upside.

To quote from the article: “mean a dramatic reduction in lifestyle, often shorter life spans, more physical labor, less use of technology”
Amazing honesty. You’ll work harder and die sooner under our plan. But that’s OK, because we want fewer people.

Well even if global warming was a problem it was solved a long time ago with A/C unless the ecofacists decide that A/C is forbidden. There will be some consequences when Greenland's ice melts hundreds of years from now. While we wait for that we can use our technology to improve everyone's life and deal with the extra water in various ways.

Meanwhile, the longest period on record without a major U.S. landfalling hurricane continues. I remember when we used to have major hurricanes before global warming made them go away...

Perhaps thou dost think too much. CO2 has nothing to do with ‘Climate Change’...perhaps you have been spending too much time at the altar of the ‘Algore’?

And yes, there is technology that could lead us out of our dependence on Muzzie oil, Muzzie energy. The ptb like to suppress that technology. And the Muzzie usurper in the White Hut likes to suppress all attempts to make us energy self-sufficient in the name of his bow-down-to Muzzies in that part of the world.

And before anyone decides to chime in about grow-your-own energy self-sufficiency, I would remind you that corn is feed for cattle and horses, it is not for growing, harvesting, grinding, fermenting, distilling to make fuel for cars. That costs more energy than is produced when it gets used in cars, it reduces fuel efficiency, it wastes agricultural production capabilities that could otherwise be used to produce food. The price of corn used for feed for cattle, horses etc has nearly doubled in two years. That is because of the evil that says we have to produce so much for energy purposes.

12
posted on 09/14/2012 8:18:45 PM PDT
by GGpaX4DumpedTea
(I am a Tea Party descendant...steeped in the Constitutional Republic given to us by the Founders.)

I would suggest a one billion dollar prize for a technological breakthrough. Cheaper solar panels, thorium reactors, energy from the jet stream, whatever. Its a lot cheaper than pretty much every other solution people are offering, with a lot more upside.

You don't get it. They don't WANT TO SOLVE THE "PROBLEM!" And they certainly don't want a technology-based solution.

The only solution they'll accept is a massive return to an agrarian existence with huge cuts in the human population.

13
posted on 09/14/2012 8:54:04 PM PDT
by VeniVidiVici
(Congrats to Ted Kennedy! He's been sober for two years now!!)

I would suggest a one billion dollar prize for a technological breakthrough. Cheaper solar panels, thorium reactors, energy from the jet stream, whatever. Its a lot cheaper than pretty much every other solution people are offering, with a lot more upside.Thorium reactors are feasable, the rest is crap.

14
posted on 09/14/2012 9:32:02 PM PDT
by wjcsux
("In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act." - George Orwell)

The Mojave Desert is one of the most beautifull places in this country. Ruining that beauty with ugly ass solar panels would be a crime against humanity. Solar electricity is pie in the sky garbage. Return on investment is negligable at best. If this clown wants to ruin the Aussie deserts then more power to him, just keep your grubby hands and stupid solar panels out of ours!

15
posted on 09/14/2012 10:48:58 PM PDT
by sean327
(God created all men equal, then some become Marines!)

I have yet to see an explanation from these morons as to how they are going to get all the power from middle of the desert to where it is needed. Thirty or forty miles out into the desert and the transmission lines would be enormous. They seem to think that solar panels magically transmit power to the grid.

Also, let's not forget the size of the inverters necessary to change that DC to AC.

16
posted on 09/15/2012 4:37:50 AM PDT
by raybbr
(People who still support Obama are either a Marxist or a moron.)

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